Country Ham And Hominy Hash Recipes

COUNTRY HAM HASH RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook ham in a large skillet over medium, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer ham to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Return skillet to medium-high, and melt butter in skillet. Add potatoes, onion, and bell pepper, spreading in an even layer. Cover and cook until potatoes soften, about 8 minutes. Uncover and stir in garlic, pepper, and salt. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, 2 minutes. Stir and continue cooking in 2-minute intervals, stirring after each interval, until potatoes are golden, about 15 minutes total.
• Chop cooked ham, and stir into potato mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with rosemary, and serve immediately.

CHILI CHICKEN WITH HOMINY HASH

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the cinnamon and lime zest in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, then transfer to one of the baking sheets; set aside until ready to roast.
• Toss the hominy, squash, bell pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each chili powder and cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Spread on the other baking sheet.
• Transfer the chicken to the upper oven rack and the hominy to the lower rack. Roast, stirring the hominy occasionally, until the hominy is lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer the hominy to a bowl and add the lime juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the scallions and cilantro. Season with salt and toss. Serve with the chicken and lime wedges.

COUNTRY HAM AND HOMINY HASH

Steps:

• Place the ham in a pot with the bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover with water and simmer for about 1 hour, until the ham is fork-tender (see Know-how, page 172). Add the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the potatoes are just beginning to get tender. Strain the ham and potatoes from the pot, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid, removing and discarding the bay leaf, and set aside.
• Using two forks, shred the ham into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, hominy, and onion. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Country ham is salty, so be sure to taste before adding any extra salt.)
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the ham-potato mixture and spread into a flat cake. Cover with a splatter screen or lid and cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and re-form the cake. Cover and cook, adding a little more oil if needed, until crispy on the other side. Remove from the heat and cover.
• Fill a large skillet with water about 2 inches deep and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar and salt and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Add the eggs one at a time and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites set and a thin, translucent film forms over the yolks (see Know-how, page 86). Use a slotted spoon to gently transfer the eggs to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
• Divide the hash evenly between individual serving plates, place 1 or 2 eggs on top of each, and serve hot.
• For a more rustic interpretation of this dish, make a hole in the hash, crack the eggs in the hole, and cover to fry, rather than poach, to your liking. For a sweet-and-savory combination, substitute sweet potatoes for the russets, and for a crispy finish, scatter fried oysters on top. Or, make a cheesy variation by layering the hash mixture with Gruyère cheese in a skillet to form one large cake and sauté until brown and crispy. Slide the cake out of the skillet and cut into 4 to 6 wedges, then assemble the dish as for the main recipe.
• Hominy is the name for corn kernels that have been hulled to remove the bran and germ. Lye hominy is hulled by soaking the corn kernels in a weak lye solution-a very traditional, centuries-old Native American method-and pearl hominy is hulled mechanically. It is then dried and either ground to make our beloved hominy grits or boiled whole to make what New Orleansians call "big hominy." You can buy hominy canned, meaning precooked, or dried, in which case it will need to be presoaked and boiled in the same manner as dried beans.

HOMINY SAUSAGE BAKE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown sausage in oil; drain and set aside. In the same pan, brown ham cubes. Stir in the red beans and rice mix, water, butter and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until beans and rice are tender, stirring occasionally., Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Layer with hominy and sausage; top with peppers and corn. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with corn chips.

SMOKED HAM HOCK HOMINY STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, cumin, thyme, bay leaf and dried red pepper and sauté 5 minutes. Add ham hocks, broth, tomatoes and garlic. Simmer until ham hocks are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer ham hocks to work surface. Remove meat and cut into bite-size pieces. Discard fat and bones. Return meat to pot. Add hominy and simmer until hominy is just tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat until heated through.) Ladle into bowls and serve.